Klopp salutes Henderson, his ‘General’
JORDAN Henderson was last night hailed by Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool’s ‘General’ after signing a new five-year deal.
Skipper Henderson has extended his stay at Anfield until at least 2023, which will take him beyond a decade at the club.
Henderson, 28, joined Liverpool in 2011 from Sunderland for £16million and took over as captain when Steven Gerrard departed in 2015.
The England midfielder overcame a tough start at the club to become one of Klopp’s key players.
And the Liverpool boss believes Henderson will continue to improve after he extended his stay beyond his former contract which ran until 2020.
Klopp said: “It is fantastic news but should not be a surprise to anyone – he is perfect for us and we for him. Jordan embodies entirely what it means to be a Liverpool player in this modern era of football.
“You can tell through his actions on and off the pitch he treats representing our badge and our shirt as a privilege. He carries a lot on his shoulders that people on the outside won’t see, but he embraces that responsibility and that leadership. He is our ‘General’ and I trust him completely. But the best thing is, he will get even better in these coming years.”
Henderson said: “I feel it’s been a progressive journey for me throughout my time here and one I’ve enjoyed so much. There is no other place in the world I would rather play football. I want to be here for as long as I can be.”
Mohamed Salah has become the first Premier League star to be shortlisted for the world’s best player award since Cristiano Ronaldo won it in 2008 while at Manchester United.
The Liverpool forward joins Juventus’ Ronaldo and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric on the threeman shortlist for The Best Fifa Men’s Player award for 2018.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi is missing from the shortlist for the first time since 2006.
Napoli are set to complain to UEFA after they drew Liverpool in the Champions League group stages.
The Serie A side are not impressed that last season’s finalists were a third-seeded team in pot three.